It still remains somewhat of a mystery why Van Rensselaer, who had a large army, did not steal along the shore of Lake Ontario, cross the Niagara at the mouth and try to catch the tail of Brock’s army. Instead of this, on October 10th, he prepared his boats and got his troops ready to cross the Niagara River where it whirls and swirls at the base of Queenston. The British, on the Canadian side, were quite unprepared for the attack. Very early in the morning of October 11th the first boat of American soldiers put out. In this boat was Lieutenant Sims. History does not tell us what happened to Sims. He may have landed on the Canadian side, but it is more likely that he was caught in the current and tried to return to the American shore. Whatever became of him, he had with him the oars for the remaining boats, thus preventing his comrades following him across the river. To attempt his rescue was impossible. They waited till dawn, but were finally driven, sodden by the rain and terror-stricken by the storm, to their camp. Next day a Major Evans, of the British forces, presented a flag of truce to Van Rensselaer, which truce was for the purpose of exchange of prisoners. While this was under way, Evans’s sharp eye noticed that preparations were being made for what could not be other than an attack on Queenston. He returned to Queenston and warned Captain Dennis, commanding the men there, that large boats were concealed on the other side ready, he thought, for an attack. Brock, at Fort George, must also be given news at once, thought Evans, and he hastened away to acquaint the commander with what was afoot. Evans was right. The fate of the October 11th expedition did not deter Van Rensselaer from another attempt. This was to be made before dawn next day. CHAPTER IX QUEENSTON HEIGHTS IT has been pointed out that the forces under Brock were widely scattered. His main body was at Fort George, seven miles from Queenston. At Brown’s Point, three miles away, there was a battery, and a single gun was mounted at Vrooman’s Point, a mile distant. In the village of Queenston Captain Dennis commanded the grenadier company of the 49th Regiment; Captain Chisholm was stationed there with a company of the second York; Captain Hall’s company of the 5th Lincoln Militia brought the whole force at Queenston to about three hundred men. At a vantage point on the height itself was stationed Captain Williams with a light company of the 49th, supporting the crew of a redan battery of one eighteen-pounder gun.